Stranded
by crazy cyborg 225
Summary: Mario and his friends win a free cruise, but when Bowser and his goons show up, the entire gang gets stranded on an island in the middle of nowere. read as they fight to survive this tropical terror. please read and review!
1. Prologe

Prologe

Mario was present, making coffee. Luigi was Sitting on the couch, watching the news in his pajamas.  
Sudenly the doorbell rang, causing Luigi to jump slightly. Mario walked over to the door and opened it. Mailtoad handed Mario a letter  
"Aything else," Mario asked curiously.  
"Nope," Mailtoad replied. And with that he walked back down the dirt road towards Toad Town.  
"What is it," Luigi asked.  
"A letter," Mario said.  
" From who?"  
Mario grabbed the letter opener from the counter in the kitchen.  
Luigi got up and walked over to his brother. His eyes widened as he examined the letter.  
" We won," Luigi asked suddenly exited.  
"Apparently yes," Mario said  
" We get to go on a week long cruise! YES!"  
" It also says we can bring one other guest with us," Mario explained.  
"So Peach is coming too."  
Luigi nodded  
"Oh man, this is gonna be epic," Luigi cheered


	2. Chapter 1: The SS Sarasa

Chapter 1: The S.S. Sarasa.

Mario's red wild wing sped down the highway towards the Mushroom Marina.  
" So the cruise lasts how long," Peach asked.  
" A week. I wish it was longer, i really need a long vacation," Mario said.  
Luigi sat in the passenger seat, drumming his hands on his lap.  
" Luigi, do you know who owns the ship," Mario asked his brother.  
Luigi looked up at his brother in red and blinked. " Oh yeah. I think it was Princess Daisy or something like that."  
"OOH," Peach suddenly barked " I know her! we used to be best friends back when we were kids. Our parents set up trade routes between our two kingdoms. She rules over Sarasaland."  
Mario started to say something but stopped himself. The three friends remained silent for the rest of the trip.

After 30 minutes they arrived at the marina. As the three friends proceeded to exit Mario's car, they were greeted by Toadsworth. " Princess," He shouted with a happy voice," What are you doing here?"  
Peach smiled at her elderly steward. " Well, Mario won a free cruise and he's bringing Luigi and I with him."  
" Sounds fun. Well, my brother is the captain of the ship and he wanted me to come visit him and his son," Toadsworth informed.  
Just then, a high pitched, happy voice cut through the sounds of people franticly trying to get their cars unloaded.  
" HEY GUYS," Toad cried as he approached with Toadette at his side.  
What are you two doing here," Mario asked.  
" Oh y'know, we just needed a vacation to 'fall back in love' as our marrige counsler says," Toadette shrugged. " At least he's payin for it." Toadette pulled out her phone and read a text. " hey," she said. "Rosalina's already on the ship. She says to meet her at the dining room."  
" Rosalina," Mario asked " What's she doing here?" Toadette shrugged. Mario looked at Toad hoping for an answer but only recived a shrug from toad as well.  
" Well," Peach said, breaking up the akward silence " we'd better get going. It was nice seeing you guys." The three walked towards the S.S Sarasa, unaware of the pair of blue outlined eyes watching them from underneath a long dark purple trenchcoat and fedora. The figure revealed a two-way radio and pressed a button.  
" They're here," he said calmly.  
" Perfect. The plan is in motion. I'll tell the boss," A voice replied.  
" We can't afford any screw-ups. Got it?"  
" Yeah I can't wait to- oh crap someone's coming!"  
A third voice could be heard in the backround.  
"Hey, who are you talking t-" the radio cut off before the sentence finished.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach entered their room with their luggage. Luigi looked up at the room and dropped his suitcase and backpack in awe as he saw the brightly lit Royalty Suite  
" Woah! This place is freaking amazing," Luigi said, flopping onto one of the king sized beds. Mario laid his suitcase On the king sized bed next to Luigi's. Peach walked over and kissed Mario on the cheek.  
" Thanks for bringing us Mario," she cooed into his ear  
" No problem babe," Mario said, pulling Peach closer.  
Luigi rolled his eyes.' man, these two need to get a room' he thought to himself.

Meanwile, in the captain's quarters Captain T straightened his captains hat on his head as he looked at his son, Toadbert studying a mechanical device that had recently fallen apart due to overuse. Toadbert had been the first to try to put it back together, and he seemed to be doing a great job at it.  
" Toadbert," Captain T said " It's almost time to set sail. Get your formal wear on and meet me at the main door to the dinning room."  
Toadbert looked up from his Table and nodded his head  
" Yes dad," he replied, standing up. Just then there was a knock at the door.  
" Hello? Terrence? Are you in there," Toadsworth asked  
Captain T's eyes widened.  
"Well, if it isn't my stuffy old brother, Toadsworth," Captain T said, letting Toadsworth in " How have you been,_ old bean_?"  
" Quite alright, _Terrence_," Toadsworth replied " What are you doing?"  
" Well, right now I'm debating wether or not to give you a hug," He said, scratching his grey beard.  
" Where's your son? I'd love to meet him," Toadsworth said with a smirk as he hugged his brother.  
" He's preparing for the feast. you'll meet him them."

Toadette and Toad entered the almost-empty dining room and spotted the princess of the cosmos immediatly.  
" Rose," Toadette cried, waving to her friend. Rosalina waved back and walked over to the couple.  
" Hey guys," Rosalina greeted. " Enjoying your stay?"  
" This ship is amazing!" Toad looked around the dining room and saw an extremly large buffet table being stocked with various foods.  
" Hey, whats with all the food," Toad asked. Rosalina looked over her shoulder at the table.  
" It's for the feast we have each year when we set sail from the Mushroom Kingdom," she explained.  
Toad opened his mouth to say somthing, but was interrupted when a man in a long purple trenchcoat bumped into him and walked away.  
" Hey! watch where your going," Toad shouted, But the man either wasn't listening or couldn't hear him.  
" I wonder what's his problem," Toadette thought aloud

Waluigi was in such a hurry to find his brother that he barly noticed the pathetic toadstool he nearly knocked over. As he opened the kitchen door, the heat hit him like a wall.  
The sudden blast of heat tempted him to take off his trenchcoat but he knew he would probably be tossed overboard, seeing as he was wanted for armed robbery.  
'Where is that moron' he thought  
"YOU," the voice nearly caused Waluigi to jump out of his skin. He turned around to see an impaitient looking toadstool tapping his foot and holding a tray full of chopped onions towards him.  
" Take this to the new guy," he ordered. Waluigi took the tray and let out a sigh of relief. He had thought he had been recognized.  
As the toadstool walked out to the dining room, Waluigi looked for his brother. after two minutes of navigating the giant kitchen he found Wario, trying to season an extremly burnt platter of pasta.  
"Wario you fat lard! You said you knew how to cook," Waluigi growled at his idiot brother.  
Wario scowled at him " Rule number 1, I lie."  
Waluigi buried his face in his hands.'ugg. im surrounded by morons.' he thought to himself." Wario you look like an idiot with that chef hat on," Waluigi sneered  
Wario turned angrily towards his brother" Oh yeah?Well, you look like a fag with that purple trenchcoat on."  
The brothers started to bicker loudly until one angry cook shushed them.  
"Idiot," Wario grumbled  
" Spaz," Waluigi growled

Luigi rummaged through his suitcase until he found his green shot sleeved shirt and blue shorts. After changing, he jogged across the ship to the tennis courts. The courts where empty exept for one woman who was practicing. She wore an orange and yellow skin tight short sleeved shirt and some dark orange shorts. She had short brownish-ginger hair.  
"Hey," Luigi called out. the woman caught the ball and looked at Luigi with her saphire eyes." Wanna play some tennis?"  
" Your on," she replied,"Oh, and by the way my name's Daisy."  
Luigi looked her in disbelief. " You mean Daisy as in Princess Daisy," he asked in shock. Daisy nodded her head.  
" Still up for some tennis," she grinned from ear to ear.  
"Well I was looking for a challenge, but i seem to be in the wrong place."  
Daisy narowed her eyes at the man in green." You know what they say, looks can be deciving. You got a name?"  
"Luigi," he stated.  
" Well Luigi, lets play some tennis," Daisy said, tossing him a raquet. After a 30 minuet match, Daisy beat Luigi 15-40  
"wh-wh-what," Luigi studdered. Daisy smiled in triumph.  
"Like I said, looks can be deciving. Do you have a girlfriend," she asked, Luigi turned red with emmbarassment " Oh, I'm sorry that's none of my buisness."  
"No, It's okay I don't have a girl friend," Luigi said, "why do you ask?"  
Daisy ran a hand through her hair " Well, I was wandering if you would like to go to the dance with me after the feast."  
Luigi's eyes widened 'woah' he thought 'I'm being asked out on a date'. " Sure," Luigi said " I'll go get ready."  
" See you tonight," they said in unison. As Daisy walked away Luigi couldn't help but stare at her rear end.  
" Stop staring," Daisy ordered, snapping her fingers without looking back.  
Luigi started back towards his room thinking about the night ahead of him.


	3. Chapter 2: The Feast

Chapter 2: The Feast

As Luigi reached for the door handle he noticed the small red DO NOT DISTURB sign and sighed heavily.' Geez, you leave 'em alone for a minute and they go at it like dogs' He thought. He knocked sharply on the door and was answered by rustling and some groans.  
" Can't you read," Mario called.  
" Can't you keep it in your pants," Luigi attacked. After a few seconds of waiting a half naked Mario poked his head out of the door.  
" What," Mario asked, irritated.  
" I need to change for the feast in one hour," Luigi hinted.  
" One hour! Peach! Get dressed we need to get ready for the feast!" Luigi shook his head and walked into the room.  
Peach was already tying the back of her dress when he walked in. "where'd you go," she asked as she straightened her crown.  
" Out," Luigi said, pulling out his black tuxedo and green bowtie.  
" Out where?"  
Luigi sighed " Just out, why does it matter?"  
Mario walked out of the bathroom with his tooth brush in his mouth as he buttoned up his tux. " For God sakes Weegee just tell her!"  
"What are you guys, my parents?"  
Peach crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow " Is this about a girl," Peach asked curiously.  
Luigi turned blood red with embarassment. " Wha- no! That's not it at all," Luigi protested. Peach just smiled and walked over to Mario. She wispered somthing in his ear and walked out of the room.  
Mario looked at his brother emotionlessly. " Is she hot," he asked.  
" Shut up man," Luigi weakly protested as he started to put on his suit.

Wario paced nervously out side of the tennis courts, waiting for Waluigi to show up. ' Where is that purple idiot?' he thought. After a few minutes, Waluigi ran up behind his brother.  
" C'mon moron," Wario said, grabbig his brother by the shirt collar, " Bowser's waiting for us below deck."  
" You mean the boiler room," Waluigi corrected, pulling himself away from Wario.  
" Whatever, lets go!"

Bowser sat on a large metal crate, surrounded by pipes as he waited for his henchmen to arrive.' Man, this blows. Stuck in the boiler room wile my idiot henchmen are probably living it up out there' he thought. Just then, a large crash echoed through the cramped space. Two voices were aruging nearby. Wario And Waluigi slowly walked towards their boss, expecting to be hit, but nothing happened.  
" Well," Bowser suddenly barked, " Where are they?"  
Waluigi rung his hands nervously " Well, I kinda lost track of them when they uh, borded the ship..." Bowser shot his purple henchman a murderous glare. "B-b-but we can catch them at the feast tonight. Y'know, when they're distarcted." Bowser thought about this proposal for a minute, causing Waluigi to grow more and more anxious.  
Bowser formed a menacing leer with his reptilian lips " Yes," he said, " Bring me my future bride tonight. Or else." Wario and Waluigi didn't need an explanation of what the "Or else" ment. " Yes sir," they solemly replied.  
" Peach will be mine," Bowser roared, " BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

" C'mon Toadsworth! We need to make haste towards the dining room," Captain T said to Toadsworth.  
Toadsworth slowed down a little " These old bones need a rest brother," he protested. Captain T turned around, picked up Toadsworth, and slung him over his shoulder.  
" Wha- put me down!" Captain T ignored Toadsworth as he continued to protest.

Toad and Toadette where walking around the ship, stopping at various stores to look around when they ran into Toadbert. Toad looked at him for a minute before saying anything. "Toadbert? What are you doing here," Toad asked.  
Toadbert pushed his glasses up onto his nose," I was going to ask you the same thing. I haven't seen you in years!" Toad and Toadette stood up and brushed themselves off.  
Toadette turned to her husband, " Who is this," she asked.  
Toad smiled, " This is Toadbert, my old college roomate."  
" What are you doing here," Toadbert asked again.  
" We're going on a vacation. What are you doing here?"  
" The captain is my father."  
Toadette rubbed her temples in confusion, " Wait, let me get this straight, you went to college," she asked Toad in shock.  
Toad scowled at his wife, " You know I wnt to college," he accused. Toadette smiled, knowing she provoked Toad.  
Toadbert cleared his throat, " Well, would you guys like to sit at my table with me and my family during the feast?"  
" Sure thing. we've got a lot of catching up to do," Toad replied.

**30 Minutes Later**

Mario, Luigi ,and Peach entered the dining room, wich was half-full of toadstools, shy guys, lumas, and yoshis.  
" Wow," Peach said " This place looks so colorful!"  
Mario nodded in agreement, then he looked over at Luigi and gave him a nudge with his elbow, " Hey," he said' " when's your girlfriend comming? Or did she bail on you?"  
Luigi gave Mario a small shove. Peach turned around and glared at the brothers. " Will you at least tell us her name," Peach asked innocently.  
Luigi gave a wry smile, " You'll have to wait," he said.  
Mario lightly punched Luigi in the shoulder. The friends found a table reserved for them and sat down as they waited for Luigi's mystery girl. Soon the dining room was full of guests, and classical music was playing as everyone started to eat. Luigi looked around for Daisy as Mario and Peach began to eat. Soon Daisy came into view as she brushed past various passengers. Luigi stood up and walked towards her, " Daisy," he called. Daisy looked at him and waved exitedly as she hurried over to him. As Luigi and Daisy sat down at the table Mario did a double take and gaged on his spagetti and Peachs jaw dropped. Daisy looked at Mario in shock, " Mario," she asked, dumbstruck  
Marios eyes widened " Daisy," Mario asked.  
Luigi looked at Mario with confusion, " You know each other," he asked. Daisy turned away for a moment. She slowly turned back and looked at Luigi.  
" Mario and I used to date. Back when we where teenagers." Daisy lowered her head. Peach got up and stormed off towards the exit, Mario quickly followed.  
" Peach," Mario called, " Where are you going?" Peach turned around and slapped Mario across the face.  
" Why didn't you tell me you two dated," she asked furiously.  
Mario rubbed his cheek where Peach had slapped him, " I didn't think it mattered." Peach broke down into tears as she sank to her knees.  
" What am I then? Your third, fourth girlfriend?" Mario grabbed her shoulders.  
" No. Look, I was young and kinda stupid back then. It was a spur of the moment thing that lasted a week."  
Peach wiped away her tears as she stood up, " Tell me you love me," she ordered.  
"You know I love you babe. Always have, always will."  
Peach hugged Mario, " Lets get back inside and eat."

Toadsworth, Toadbert, Toad, and Toadette were sitting at the table, sharing stories, getting to know each other, and having a great time.  
" Man," Toad said, " I had no idea Tadsworth had a sense of humor." The gang laughed exept for Toadswoth, who was glaring at Toad as if he had called him fat.  
Captain T ran up to the table, " Guys," he said, " I need to get to the bridge. we have a small storm aproching. I've got to go, enjoy your dinner."  
Toadbert nodded his hed, " It's okay dad." Captain T left the dining room in a hurry. The gang went back to talking.

Luigi and Daisy were standing outside the dining room talking. Luigi rubbed the back of his head, " So you used to date my brother."  
Daisy looked down at the ground, " You know, if you think dating your brother's ex is weird, you can call this off. I'll understand."  
Luigi's eyes widened, " I was about to say that if you were uncomfertable dating your ex's brother, you could leave and i wouldn't take it personaly."  
They locked eyes for a second before hugging.  
" I think this date is going great so far," Luigi said.  
"Yeah," Daisy replied.  
The two stayed like this for a few minutes untill a voice came over the intercom  
" Attention all passengers, there is a small storm aproaching the S.S. Sarasa. We would like for all passengers to stay indoors until the storm passes, thank you."  
Luigi and Daisy looked at each other, " I guess we're going inside," Luigi said.  
Daisy pulled him into the dining room.

Waluigi watched Luigi and some woman he'd never seen before talking. ' She'd make a nice catch.' He thought.  
" You ready," Wario asked over the radio.  
" Yeah, let's get this over with."


	4. Chapter 3: Storm Over The SS Sarasa

Chapter 3: Storm Over The S.S. Sarasa

Rosalina was playing piano on the stage of the ballroom while the passengers were dancing. As she finished a song, she noticed someone in a long dark purple trenchcoat, watching her. ' He looks... familiar.' she thought as she left the stage.  
Toad and Toadette ran up to her, " Rose, you were awsome up there," Toadette said.  
Rosalina gave her a toothless smile, " Thanks."  
Toad saw the man in the trenchcoat. " Hey! It's that guy that nearly knocked me over," he said angrily, " I outa give him a pice of my mind!"  
Toadette stopped him, " Just forget about it," she said, putting her hand on his shouder. Toad said somthing barley audible and crossed his arms.  
" Well," Rosalina said, " I have awhile until my next preformance. Let's go find the Mario Gang."

Luigi and Daisy were dancing to a fast song while Mario and Peach made out in a chair next to them. Peach sat on Mario's lap, one arm wrapped around his neck and a half full glass of margarita in the other.  
The song ended and Luigi took a bow. Daisy giggled, which Luigi thought was the most beautiful sound in the world. Then the next song started. This one was a slow song. Luigi started to sweat, ' Oh man, I can't dance to a slow song!' he thought. Daisy grabbed Luigi's hands and pulled him close.  
" Just put your hands around my waist," she whispered. Luigi obeyed. Daisy put her arms around his neck and they swayed side to side.  
Soon, Daisy laid her head on Luigi's shoulder, " Luigi," she whispered into his ear, " I love you."  
Luigi's mind started to race, " I love you too Daisy," he replied. The pair leaned closer to each other. Their lips were about to make contact when Luigi was knocked over by a man in a dark purple trenchcoat. " Hey," Daisy shouted, " Watch where you're going!" The man grabbed Peach by the arm and tore off the trenchcoat. Waluigi stood there eyeing Daisy. He pulled out a small knife. Daisy gasped sharply. By now the entire room was satring at Waluigi, some throwing insults at the purple villian.  
Waluigi put the knife to Peach's throat, " Follow me and the girl dies," He threatened. Waluigi slung Peach over her shoulder and ran for the exit.  
" NO," Mario cried, " Waluigi! I'll killyou!" Mario chased after him. Rosalina, Toad, and Toadette rushed up to Daisy, who was helping Luigi up.  
" What happened," Rosalina asked.  
" Waluigi kidnapped Peach," Daisy replied. The five ran after Mario.

Toadbert and Toadsworth were outside of the ballroom watching the approaching storm. " Are you sure it's safe to be out here," Toadsworth asked.  
" Certainly. the storm can't be too strong," Toadbert assured.  
Toadsworth looked out at the deck below the balconey they were on. He saw Peach being carried away by Waluigi.  
" Halt fiend," Toadsworth cried, as he jummped from the balconey.  
" Uncle, wait," Toadbert said, running down the stairs after him. The pair met Mario at the bottom, and tried to keep up with the hero in red. Luigi eventually caught up to them with Daisy And Rosalina. Toad and Toadette lagged behind a few feet.  
Waluigi was eventually cornered at the side of the ship. " Where is he," He asked himself. Suddenly, Bowser flew up in his clown chopper and took Peach out of Waluigi's hands and proceeded to fly away. " Bowser, You traitor," Waluigi cried. Mario jumped on Waluigi's head and bounced towards the clown chopper. He held onto the side as he landed a hard left hook into Bowser's snout. " Hey," He cried grabbing his nose, " That was a dirty trick!" Mario went for another hit, but Bowser grabbed his hands and tossed him off. Peach grabbed Mario's hands , but was pulled over the side form his weight. The gang watched in terorr as the couple fell towards the ocean. The rain started to pour from the clouds above. "Mario," Luigi cried, straining to find his brother. Mario surfaced with Peach on his back.  
" Princess," Toadsworth cried. The gang didn't notice Waluigi sneaking away until Wario shouted.  
" Waluigi, you coward," he shouted, " Get in there and fight!" The gang turned around and charged at the crooks. Luigi and Rosalina tackled Waluigi while Daisy, Toad, and Toadette traded blows with Wario. Toadsworth and Toadbert threw a life preserver to Mario and Peach to try and save them. As Mario grabbed the ring, Bowser flew down at them and tried to grab Peach, but the couple submerged before he got to them. He tried again, but this time he hit the water and was pulled out of his vehicle. He swam towards Mario and Peach as fast as he could, but Peach saw him and kicked his eye with her pink high heel. Bowser roared in pain and anger as he dunked the couple 7 feet below the surface of the rapid waves. Waluigi shoved Rosalina backwards, causing her to lose her balance and fall over the side of the ship. " Rose," Toadette cried, running to catch her friend. She caught the collar of her dress, but Toadette was not strong enough to pull her up and began to slide over the railing. " Toadette," Toad cried, running to catch his wife. He grabbed her foot, but was carried over due to the girl's momentum. " Toad," Toadbert cried catching his former roomate's foot. Toadbert couldn't pull his friends up and began to slide. " Toadbert," Toadsworth cried catching his nephew's vest. Toadsworth was the weakest of the group and immediatly flew over the railing.  
Daisy barley grabbed his mustashe, " OUCH," Toadsworth cried. Daisy started to slide.  
" Daisy," Luigi cried, grabbing her shoulders. Waluigi walked up behind Luigi and pushed the entire groupe into the cold ocean water. Wario lifted Waluigi off of his feet and tossed him to the stormy water below, but Waluigi managed to grab Wario by his nose and bring him along with him. The brothers made a gigantic splash, sending the rest of the overboard passengers flying. Bowser revealed a two-way radio and pressed a button, " Kamek! Bring in the airship," Bowser demanded.  
A fian voice, accompanied by static could barly be heard over the thunder above, " Right away, your Nastiness!" A large arship cut through the storm clouds and proceeded to approach the waterlogged fighters. Suddenly a great bolt of lightning struck the giant airship, causing it to smash into the ocean. The ship almost fell apart on impact due to the speed from falling. " NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Bowser cried in anger. A few koopa troopas were trying to escape the wreakage on pieces of driftwood.

Daisy held Luigi's hand as the ship slammed into the water," Luigi," She said ," What do we do?" Luigi closed his eyes for a moment.  
" We need to get back on the ship somehow," He replied hoarasly. something caught Daisy's ankle, "Luigi," she cried, but it was too late. She had been pulled under by Waluigi. Daisy kicked his nose as hard as she could, but the crook didn't even flinch. She then slamed her foot into his left eye, causing him to instinctivly let go. She kicked him one more time and swam to the surface. Luigi pulled her up. " Are you okay," he asked in a worried tone. Before she could reply, A hand emerged from the water and wrapped aroun Luigi's neck, pulling him under. " Luigi," Daisy cried, diving after him. Waluigi and Luigi were kicking each other under water until Daisy got in between them and poked Waluigi in the eye distracting him long enough for the couple to escape. The three surfaced and Luigi attacked Waluigi but was pulled away by Wario who was dragged under the surface by Mario. Luigi Punched Waluigi in the face, knocking him out cold. The Mario gang swam towards the wreked airship after Bowser and Wario, who was pulling Waluigi through the water. Mario eventually caught up to them and began to fight Bowser. The rest of the gang sped up towards them. When they reached them the two were too tired to fight anymore. Mario slipped below the water, but Luigi dove after him. Bowser laughed weakly, "You'll never beat me you... you.. losers!"  
Daisy looked up at the clouds as Luigi resurfaced with Mario in his arms. Daisy saw the next thing in slow motion, as if the world slowed down just to show her the next horrible second of her life to her and enjoy watching it. A giant bolt of lightning jumped down from the sky and rocketed towards the middle of the group. As it smashed into the water, a giant white circle appeared around them.  
Daisy felt a tingleing sensation throughout her body before everything wen black.


	5. Chapter 4: Stranded

Chapter 4: Stranded

Diasy slowly opened her eyes. She stared at a white celing.' What the ...' she thought, ' Where am I?' She heard voices nearby.  
" Yes, it's a fine baby boy," one voice said softly.  
" I have a... a son," the other voice said, sounding queasy. Daisy instantly recognized the second voice. Luigi.  
" Luigi," Daisy asked softly. Luigi walked in from the hallway.  
" Yes my love?"  
" Where are we?"  
Luigi laughed, " We're in the hospital! You just gave birth to our son," he beamed.  
Daisy looked at him in confusion. She opened her mouth to talk but no sound came. A toadstool doctor walked in holding a baby, wrapped in a dark purple blanket.  
The Doctor handed Luigi the baby without a word and left.  
Luigi walked over to Daisy with a proud smile on his face. " Here's our son. You want to name him," Luigi asked.  
He handed the child to Daisy who gasped in horror. The ' baby' had a large, 'L' shaped, pointy mustache and two menacing eyes outlined with blue masscara. The baby also had a large pink nose. The baby laughed an evil laugh and Luigi grinned menacingly at her.

Daisy's eyes flew open and salt water spewed from her mouth. After trying to inhale, she saw an uncounsious Luigi laying nearby. With great effort she crawled to the downed plumber. She placed her hand on his neck. She could feel a strong, steady pulse and sighed with relief. Daisy rolled onto her back and closed her eyes.

Daisy awoke to smoeone shaking her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Luigi crouched over her." Daisy," he said, relieved," We need to get moving to find the others." Daisy stood up and steadied her self on Luigi.  
" How long was I out," She asked.  
" About an hour."  
Luigi took her hand and they started to walk along the beach, looking for their friends.

A purple hat with a yellow, upsidedown 'L' on it washed onto the sandy beach where Luigi and Daisy had just been. Soon, a man wearing a purple shirt and black overalls washed ashore next to his hat. Waluigi stood up and brushed the sand off of him and retrieved his hat. As he bent down, he noticed two sets of footprints leading away from him.' Well,' he thought, 'I guess I'm not alone.' Waluigi followed the footprints along the beach.

Luigi spotted Mario, motionless in the sand with Peach kneeling over him, crying. Luigi and Daisy didn't hesitate for a moment, they ran to Mario and Peach with suprising speed. Luigi dropped to his knees and started to panic," What do we do," he cried," Peach! Can you do mouth to mouth?"  
Peach furiously glared at him," This isn't the time to make out with Mario! He's dying," she sobbed.  
Daisy grabbed her shouders," Peach," she shouted, " We're not saying make out with him! This is to save him!" She quickly instructed Peach how to preform CPR. Peach continued to do CPR for three minutes. They eventually lost hope.  
Mario was dead.

Waluigi watched from a safe distance as Mario lay motionless in the sand as Luigi, Daisy, and Peach. sobbed over his body. Waluigi grinned in triumph. But the grin was short-lived as an awful feeling of remorse washed over him. He started to walk away hanging his head in sorrow, 'Well,' he thought, ' He's dead. But, why do I feel so... bad?' He continued to ask himself that question as he slowly truged through the sand.

Peach still kneeled over Mario's body as she sobbed harder. Each sob racked her body, making it look like she was having a spazam. Luigi and Daisy hugged each other as they cried. They almost missed hearing the low groan from Mario's throat. The three stopped crying for a moment," Peach," Daisy shouted, ecstatic, " Do CPR! Now!" Peach quickly preformed more CPR on Mario, who was now starting to regain color in his face. After 30 seconds, Mario's eyes flew open and salt water spewed from his mouth. He shakily stood up as his friends stared at him in shock. Mario doubled over and coughed. He started to fall over , but was caught by Peach who immediatly started to hug and cry on the pale plumber. " Oh, Mario," she sobbed," I thought you were dead!" Luigi and Daisy joined in as they all cried tears of happiness.  
Luigi gave his brother a crushing hug, " Mario," he said, " Don't ever do that again!" Mario smiled half-heartedly at Luigi and nodded his head.  
" Wouldn't dream of it bro," He four continued to cry together untill a voice cried out in despair, far off from the beach.  
" HEEEEEEEEEELP!"  
Peach's ears perked up, " Hey," she shouted, " I'd recognize that whine anywhere! That's Toadsworth!" Mario squinted at the horizin. He could barly see a round, brown object floating at least 300 yards from the shore. Luigi spoke up, " I'll go after him. We've already seen the result of Mario in the water," Luigi said making a weak attempt of humor.  
Mario smirked, " Go for it bro." Luigi removed his green bowtie and black tuxedo jacket and walked into the surf.

Toadsworth was using the last of his energy to cry for help. ' this is hopless,' he thought, no one's out here.' he could see trees on the horrizon. and tried to swim towards them, but the aged toadstool didn't have anymore strength in him to do it. He started to slowly sink into the deep blue sea, but before the water reached his ears, a familiar voice rang out, TOOOADSWOOOOORTH!"  
Toadsworth found new strength and pushed himself up. He scanned the water and saw Luigi quickly swimming towards him. " Luigi," he cried, " Thank god! i was about to give up hope!" Luigi grabbed hi arm and started to pull him through the water towards the shore. " Have you seen anyone," Luigi asked. Toadsworth was too out of breath to speak so he shook his head 'no'. " Thought so," Luigi grunted.

Meanwile, about 200 yards to the left from Luigi and Toadsworth, Toad and Toadette surfaced. They hugged each other and started to look around for dry land. Toadette spotted the island and grabbed Toad's arm, "that," she said, "is our best chance of survival."  
Toad nodded, " Let's get going." The toadstool couple swam with surprising speed towards the beach.

Waluigi sat on a large rock watching the ocean waves sweep the sand. He had his head resting on his hands as he guilily thought about what he had caused. 'Mario died because of me' he thought remorsfully. Wario sauntered over to him, dripping wet, " Waluigi," he cried, slapping his brother on the back, " I've been looking for you!"  
Waluigi said nothing as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He stood up and grabbed Wario's shoulders, " Wario, man," He said, " Mario's dead. we killed him."  
Wario smiled gleefuly, "Yeah! now we'll have no more problems," he said as he walked towards the setting sun. Waluigi turned blood red and threw the nearest rock at Wario.  
"Wario! You jackass," he screamed, " We killed someone! Murdered! Sure we hated the guy, but not enough to kill him!"  
Wario stood shocked at his brother. Then he backhanded Waluigi, " You're nothing but a wimp! sometimes you have to kill to get what you want in this world!"  
Waluigi looked at his brother in disgust, " You're sick! Like sick in the head!" Waluigi turned to walk away, but suddenly a giant wave crashed into the wave left behind a massive green spiked shell in the sand. Wario and Waluigi cautiosly approached the shell. Wario got close to the shell and knocked on it. After a few seconds passed, a large, scaly fist flew out of the shell and sent the fat villan soaring towards the trees. Waluigi jumped back in suprise and slowly backed away. Bowser's head and legs emerged from his shell as he shook himself dry and looked around at his surroundings. His left eye where Peach had kicked him was now swolen and red. His good eye landed on Waluigi, "Where are we," he asked.  
Waluigi shrugged, but then he lowered his head, " Boss," he said softly, "Mario's dead."  
" What," Bowser asked, dumbstruck. He thought about this for a moment. Wario angrily jumped through the foilage and raced to them.  
Bowser stood up and looked up at the darkening sky above, "Great," he scowled, " Now what? Without Mario I've got nobody to fight to win Peach's heart." Waluigi was about to shout at Bowser, but stopped himself and sat back on the large rock. Wario took off his hat and sctatched his head, "What do we do now," he asked.  
Bowser eyed the trees behind Wario, " We're going camping."

Luigi carried Toadswoth on his back as he slowly emerged from the salty water onto the dark beach. Toadswoth slid off of his back as Luigi dropped to his knees in exaustion. Daisy pulled the unconsious plumber to the fire the group was trying to build. Toadsworth hugged Peach and broke down ," I was so worried," he sobbed.  
Mario dumped an armload of wood onto the pile. Daisy and Peach tried to rub sticks together to ignite them, but they had no luck. Toad and Toadette silentle truged out of the water to the camp and collapsed side by side on a log. Dasy nodded in aknoledgement. The toadstools nodded back, too waterlogged to speak. The girls eventually got the twigs to light and soon they had a decent fire going. It was small, but it was enough to keep them warm. the friends wordlessly drifted off to sleep.

Luigi was the first to wake up. He sat up and looked at his sleeping friends. ' Looks like Toad and Toadette made it here.' he thought, slowly standing up. He streched his arms and walked towards the tropical trees for firewood. Luigi knew they were going to need a shelter soon. As he bent over to grab a large branch, he noticed a footprint. His first thought was that it was Mario's, but this looked much smaller. ' Did Toad go looking around?' he asked himself. He then turned around and carried his wood back to the campsite. When he arrived, Daisy was awake and stretching. Luigi set the wood in the fire and walked to her, " How do you feel," he asked.  
Daisy hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder, " Fine," she replied, " We need to find food, I'm starving." Luigi's stomach was also growling.  
Daisy saw a long stick with most of it sticking out of the fire. She picked it up and blew out the flame, "Got anything sharp," she asked. Luigi looked around and saw a small arrowhead in the sand. He handed it to her. Daisy started to shave the burnt end of the stick until it was needle sharp. " We're having fish for breakfast," she said, walking towards the water. Luigi grinned and walked back into the woods, looking for food.  
After a few minutes, he stumbled apon a bush with bright red and green fruits. He quickly grabbed one and took a bite. It tasted like an apple, but it had a bitterness to it as well. He gathered twelve fruits in his arms and stuffed them in his pockets. He quickly made his way back to the beach. When he arrived, Daisy was carrying fish in her arms along with her spear. The rest of the castaways were awake and tending to the fire. Toadsworth was finding a new cane in a pile of sticks. Mario dropped more branches into the fire and sat down on the log next to Peach and held her hand. Toad and Toadette Looked out to sea for therir missing friends Toadbert and Rosalina. "TOOOOOOOOOADBEEERRRRT," cried Toad, scanning the surface for his lost roomate.  
" ROSE," Toadette cried. Daisy proceeded to cook the fish over the fire while Luigi used the arrowhead to slice the strange fruit. Toad and Toadette stopped calling the names of their missing comrades and hung their heads in sorrow. They were probably dead. It was unlikley anyone would be able to survive that long in the water. The group remained silent and bowed their heads out of respect for their lost friends. After Daisy finished cooking the fish, they all started to eat. " Needs salt," Mario joked. No one was in the mood to laugh. " What do we do," Peach asked.  
Mario sighed, " We need to signal a ship. Like a giant bonfire or somthing."  
The rest of the castaways nodded. Peach stood up and walked to the water. She bent over and washed her hands off in the surf. Mario took off his red bowtie and tuxedo jacket and dove into the water. he surfaced a few feet fom the shore and floated on his back. Toadsworth cried for his lost nephew while Toad and Toadette half-heartedly tended the fire. Luigi and Daisy were left alone near the treeline. " I'm going for a walk," Luigi said, turning towards the woods.  
Daisy stopped him, " I'm comming too," she said. The two walked off into the trees and disappeared into the brush.

Toadbert and Rosalina were not dead. In fact, they were in pretty good shape, given the circumstances. They had washed up on the beach not too far East from Bowser's crew. Rosalina had just returned from her walk through the woods with a type of fruit neither of them had seen before. " What a strange plant," Toadbert commented.  
Rosalina nodded in agreement. After consuming the bitter-sweet fruit, Toadbert realized what was happening. Rosalina sat in the sand and thought about what they needed to survive. Toadbert sudenly let out a howl of dispair as he ran to the water " TOAD," he cried, " UNCLE TOADSWORTH! I'm so sorry!" he sobbed, burying his face in the wet sand. Rosalina rushed to him and wrapped her arms around the crying toadstool. She had tears streaming down her face as she tried to comfort Toadbert. Eventually the two were hugging and sobbing. Rosalina stood up and wiped the tears from her cyan eyes. Toadbert was curled into a ball, wimpering in the sand. Rosalina looked at the trees and walked towards them. Toadbert remained on the beach.

Wario's eyes slowly opened. He turned to his left and saw Bowser sitting in the water looking up at the bright sunny sky. Wario stood up and saw Waluigi sitting on the large rock, pouting. Wario walked to his boss and wrung his hands nervously. " Boss," he asked, " What now?" Bowser said nothing as a large fish swam next to his foot. Bowser's one good eye opened and his hand shot at the fish like a bullet. The fish didn't have time to react and was captured. Bowser hopped up and roasted the fish with his fire breath. Wario stepped back and watched in shock as Bowser ripped the fish into three pieces and held one towards him. Wario took the fish, unsure if this was a trick. Bowser said nothing as he shuffled to Waluigi and held a piece towards him. Waluigi looked up and scowled. He slid off of the rock and fled into the trees. Bowser shot a murderous glare at Wario. " What," Wario said, " He's pissed 'cause we killed Mario."  
Bowser lokked towards the trees , " What a baby."

Waluigi ran as fast as he could. He had to distance himself from them. He needed time to clear his head. Waluigi stopped in a small opening and dropped to his knees. He let out a cry of rage and sorrow. He buried his face in the dirt and sobbed, unnaware of the pair of cyan eyes watching him.


	6. Chapter 5: A Bittersweet Reunion

Chapter 5: A Bittersweet Reunion

Waluigi stopped crying into the dirt and sat up. He sat there for a moment until a fist flew out of the foilage and made contact with his face. Rosalina let out a scream of rage and kicked him in the stomach. Waluigi tried to crawl away, but Rosalina pinned him to the ground, " Murderer," she cried.  
Waluigi was weeping and ranting that he was sorry. Blood ran from his nose and tears flowed from his eyes.  
Rosalina finally stopped pumelling him and stood up, placing her foot on his throat to keep him down. "You and your 'buddies' killed my friends! Give me one good reason I shouldn't do the same to you."  
Waluigi's eyes bulged, "They're alive," he gasped, "Only Mario drowned. I'm not sure about the toadstools."  
Rosalina moved her foot. She sank down to her knees and started to cry. Waluigi slowly crawled away. 'If I stick around any longer, this chick's gonna kill me,' he thought.  
Rosalina continued to cry as Waluigi stood up and ran deeper into the trees.

Luigi and Daisy walked through the humid jungle. "What are we going to do," Daisy asked.  
Luigi thought for a moment, "We need to get a layout of the land. We're probably on an island. We need to find out how big it is."  
Daisy nodded. Luigi walked to the nearest tree and started to climb. When he reached the top, an amazing sight greeted him. There were endless miles of trees and a large volcano sat in the middle of the island. Luigi could see a small stream not too far from where they were standing. "What do you see," Daisy called to him.  
" It's-it's amazing!" Daisy quickly climbed the tree and rested on a branch near Luigi.  
" Wow," she said, her eyes drinking in the landscape. Luigi took her hand as they gawked at the jungle before them.  
" I think that stream's got fresh water. Let's go check it out," Luigi suggested. Daisy nodded and the two climbed down. They walked in the direction of the stream. When they arrived, the two saw Waluigi washing his face in a small resivior at the end of the stream. His face was covered in blood and his clothes were torn in several areas. Luigi clenched his fists in anger, "You," he shouted.  
Waluigi stopped washing his face and looked at the plumber and princess in shock, "Oh,no," he wispered, standing up. "Get away from me," Waluigi weakly said, backing away.  
Luigi took a step towards him and Daisy picked up a decent sized stick nearby. Waluigi gulped and backed into a tree. Luigi and Daisy got closer until Waluigi, in one quick motion grabbed the nearest stick and chucked it at Luigi who insinctivley ducked. Waluigi took the moment to escape, running back to the beach. Luigi and Daisy followed, both carrying branches.  
Waluigi hopped over bushes, ducked under low branches, and tried to preform sharp turns to throw the couple off of his trail, but nothing worked. Daisy was almost neck-and-neck with him and she stuck out her branch, causing him to take a painful dive into the foilage. The two stood over him and raised their sticks when an unfamilliar sound rang out from the nearby trees. Luigi jumped and Daisy took a step back. Waluigi slowly got to his feet and wiped blood from his nose. The bushes nearby started to shake and then, a large creature leaped out. The creature looked like a tiger, but instead of orange fur, it had green fur with black stripes. It also had four red eyes. Two on the side of the head and two on the front. The "animal" had four massive paws and a sharp point on it's tail. It let out a roar like a strangled bear. Luigi was a ghostly white and Daisy took his hand as she started to back away. Waluigi ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. The creature shot after him like a bullet out of a gun, roaring that awful sound. Luigi and Daisy ran like crazy towords the beach.

Bowser was tending to the small fire on the beach when a cry of terror emerged from the jungle. Wario heard it too and stopped swimming. A few seconds later, Waluigi burst out of the trees, flailing his arms and screaming like a madman. "Waluigi," Bowser called, "You're such a baby someti-" A large creature emerged from the jungle and Bowser made a desperate run for the water. Wario swam further away from the shore and Waluigi leaped about six feet out into the water. Bowser jumped and hit the water swimming. The beast touched the water and recoiled in shock. It let loose a howl of pain as the paw that hit the water started to smoke. Wario stared at it in a facinated horror. Waluigi turned green as Bowser stared at the thing in silence, not believing what he just saw. The creature fled to the trees as the villans swam to the beach. Wario grabbed his brother by his overall straps, "What was that," he cried.  
Waluigi shoved him away, "I don't know!"  
Bowser stared at the trees in silence. After a moment, he said, "Let's go after it."  
Wario and Waluigi looked at him in shock, "Are you crazy," they cried in unison.  
Bowser walked into the jungle, ignoring them. Wario and Waluigi folowed in silence.

Luigi and Daisy found the campsite after a few minutes of navigating the dense jungle. Mario was napping in the sand while Toad and Toadette fished in the sea. Peach sat next to a sleeping Toadsworth.  
"SHould we tell them," Daisy asked.  
Luigi thought for a moment, "Not yet. We don't want to panick them."  
They walked to Peach and sat down, out of breath. "Where were you guys," she asked.  
"We found fresh water," Luigi said. Daisy nodded.  
Peach stood up, "We need a way to get it back here! I'll get Mario." Peach ran to him and shook his shoulder. Mario slolw got up and listened to his girlfriend. After she finished talking, he rushed over to Luigi. "Are you serious," he asked.  
Luigi nodded.  
"Alright," Mario said, clapping his hands, "Let's get moving.  
Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Peach walked into the jungle, not expecting to find two large surprises within.

Toadbert slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around and remembered that he had fallen asleep in the sand. "Rose," he said sdanding up. "Rose!"  
He scanned the beach. Toadbert started to panic. "Rose," he cried, running to the trees. He looked around for a moment before walking into the humid jungle. He started to run in a straight line, hoping to find his missing friend. Toadbert eventually heard crying nearby and stopped. He crouched in the underbrush and listened closely. He carfully peeked out from his hiding place and saw a sliver of baby blue. Rosalina. He stood up and quickly walked to her. "Rosalina," he said, softly. She continued to cry. She eventually stopped and stood up shakily. "We need to go," she said. Toadbert nodded. "The others are alive."  
Toadbert's eyes widened, "How do you know that?"  
Rosalina turned away and spoke in an angry tone, "Waluigi."  
Toadbert gulped, "They're here?"  
Rosalina nodded. The two walked through the trees, trying to find their friends. Toadbert noticed the blood on Rosalina's hands, "What did you do," he asked.  
"I found that creep, Waluigi and beat the information out of him," she said. Toadbert shuddered in fear. Rosalina saw him and smiled to herself.  
"Don't get on my bad side," she joked.

Mario and the others reached the stream shortly after leaving the campsite. "Wow," Peach commented. The others nodded in agreement. Mario looked around for something to hold the water. He spotted a few coconuts. "Hey, Luigi," Mario said, grabbing his brother's shoulder, "We could use those coconuts to carry water."  
Luigi thought for a moment, "Yeah," he agreed, "That could work." The brothers gathered coconuts while the girls searched for anything helpful. Mario and Luigi eventually collected twelve coconuts and proceeded to break them open and everyone drank the milk from them. After they cleaned out the cocnuts, the four scooped up fresh water into the coconuts and managed to make lids out of some fallen palm leaves. As they walked back, they heard footsteps. Luigi gestured for everyonr to get down in the underbrush. The friends laid down with the water and silently waited. A figure walked towards them and soon, it was in the middle of them. Mario grabbed a nearby rock and tripped the toadstool-sized figure. "One move and you're dead," he growled viciously. He then recognized the blue mushroom cap with white spots. "_Toadbert_," Mario said, dropping the rock. Toadbert flipped over, "Mario," he cried standing up. Luigi, Peach, and Daisy emerged from their hiding place and gave the nerdy toadstool a hug. Mario stopped for a moment, "Rosalina-"  
" She's-"  
"Hey! Toadbert! do you think these are edible," a familliar voice called. Rosalina stepped out from a small group of trees holding a black, apple-sized object in her hands. She stopped shot when she noticed the others. " Mario," she said, shakily, "you're... dead."  
"_You're_ dead," Mario said with a wide smile as the rest of the group moved to Rose and gave her a crushing hug.  
" Toad and Toadette," Rosalina asked hopfuly.  
"They're fine. Toadsworth too," Mario said lookig at Toadbert.  
"Thank god," Toadbert and Rosalina said in unison.  
Suddenly, a strangled cry rang throughout the jungle. Mario and Peach hugged in fear. Luigi and Daisy shot each other guilty looks. Rosalina jumped about a foot. Toadbert had a full-blown panic attack.  
A large tiger-like creature with green fur, and four red eyes, leaped from the trees.


	7. Chapter 6: The Lone Survivor

Chapter 6: The Lone Survivor

Toad sat down in the sand next to Todsworth, who was begining to wake up. "How are you doing," Toad asked.  
Toadswoth sighed, "I'm just so depressed that' Toadbert's gone. I hardly knew him, but he was my nephew," he said th tears starting to form  
Toadette walked over to the two toadstools and sat with them. "Where's Mario and Peach," she asked.  
Toad shrugged. Toadsworth scratched his head, trying to think. "I think while i was sleeping, Peach said somthing about finding fresh water. Now that i think of it, it sounded more like Daisy," the old steward said, standing up, "Let's find them."  
Toad and Toadette nodded and stood up. The three walked into the trees, looking for their friends.

Mario grasped Peach's hand firmly as he stared into the four eyes of the beast in front of him. Peach had turned a ghostly whit and Toadbert was curled up in a ball, trembling. Luigi and Daisy stood side by side, trying to remain calm. Rosalina flattened herself against a tree and stood motionless.  
"Any plans?" Mario muttered under his breath.  
Luigi tried to think of a plan. He saw the bowls of water and grabbed one. Daisy looked at him in confusion, "What are you doing?"  
Luigi grinned, "Cats hate water, right? I figured this was just a big ugly cat."  
"Worth a shot," Daisy said.  
Luigi Quickly told the rest of the group his plan.  
"Let's do it," Mario said, picking up the shocked Todabert.  
Rosalina nodded and slid around to the back of the tree. Luigi gentley peeled off the lid of the bowl. The creature barred it's teeth, which were a gold color.  
Luigi shuddered. Daisy tensed up, preparing to run. Luigi threw the water bowl and the friends ran off into the trees. The beast let out a roar of suprise as it pawed at it's face. The area of the creature that was hit with the water started to smoke and melt as it jumped into the jungle after its prey.

Bowser walked through the dense foilage, looking for the strange animal that had attacked them. Wario and Waluigi followed a few feet behind him. Wario was shifting his eyes around, looking for it, while Waluigi flinched at every sound he heard. They stopped when they heard a loud roar. The creature.  
Bowser sped towards the location of the sound. Wario quickly followed, but Waluigi hesitated for a moment before running after them.  
When they reached the clearing where Mario and his crew were, they stopped and looked around. Wario found three coconuts filled with freshwater and the three villans drank all of it. "What now," Wario asked.  
Bowser looked around, "I think whatever that thing was is nearby. Let's look for it."  
Waluigi gulped.  
"Wuss," Wario taunted, standing up.  
Waluigi gave Wario the finger and stood up.  
Bowser stepped in between the two, "Stop your bickering you idiots!"  
The brothers turned away from each other and crossed their arms. Bowser facepalmed and walked into the trees, leaving the siblings alone.

Toadbert snapped out of his state of shock when Mario jumped over a large rock, causing Toadbert to hit his head on Mario's shoulder. "Wha- Hey! put me down," he cried.  
Mario looked at him, "Finally. Now run for your life, I'm too tired to carry you anymore." Mario dumped the toadstool out of his arms and continued running. Peach, Luigi, Daisy, and Rosalina were not far behind. They ran until they were too tired to run any further. Mario sat with his back against a tree while Luigi just laid down in the grass. Daisy and Peach sat next to Rosalina who was trying to meditate in a small, open area. Toadbert sat next to Mario and cleaned the lenses of his glasses. Mario began to close his eyes when he heard foot steps. The rest of the group heard them too and stayed down. It sounded like at least three forms running through the foilage.  
"Where are we?" a familiar voice asked.  
"How should I know?" another familiar voice snapped.  
Mario slowly stood up. "Toad?" he said in shock.  
"Mario!" Toad cried.  
The rest of the crew stood up. "Guys!" Toadette cried. She spotted Rosalina and ran to her. "Rose! Oh my god! I thought you were dead!"  
Toad saw Toadbert and gave his friend a cruching hug, "You scared the crap outta me man!"  
Toadsworth emerged from the bushes. "Toadbert!" the aged toadstool cried, hugging his nephew, "Thank god you're alive!"  
The group was fully reunited at last. A low growl echoed through the trees. Toad and Toadette jumped almost a foot in fear. "What was _that_?" Toadette asked.  
Luigi shot a glance at the trees behind them as the green beast slowly emerged from its hiding spot. The creature was no longer recognizable as a living thing. The green fur had melted away as well as the flesh. The face was melted away too, revealing a golden skeleton. The glowing red eyes were dimly glowing, like embers left after a fire.  
Toadsworth and Toadette fainted. Toadbert tried to revive his uncle, but Toadsworth was out cold. Toad picked up his unconcious wife and started to back away. Mario slung Toadsworth over his shoulder as the group began to slowly retreat. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar and lunged at them. Mario and the rest fled into the trees.  
They ran through the twisted vines and thorn-covered bushes with the beast only 25 yards behind them. Toad tripped on a root sticking out of the ground and Toadette flew from his arms.  
"TOADETTE!" he cried as the creature leaped over him towards his wife.

Toadette heard Toad call her name. The last thing she could remember was the hideous creature that came out of the jungle. she awoke from the impact of the ground to her face. She opened her eyes only to see the awful face of the thing from the jungle rushing at her. A heroic cry rang throughout the trees as an unidentifiable figure swinging on a vine grabbed her just as the beast closed his jaws on the area where she had just occupied. They landed on a high branch nearby. The man was abou the size of a regular toadstool, minus the mushroom top. He had a rough, dirty blonde beard and wore a tan robe, which was torn in several places. The man carried a golden knife that looked identical to one of the large teeth on the beast below.  
"Don't worry ma'am. I'll take care of this kitty," he said with a grin. He swung down from the branch and sliced the creature's back with the knife and proceeded to do the same until it fell to the ground. Dead. He grabbed Toadette and brought her down to the ground where the resdt of the gang had gathered. Mario and the others stard at the stranger in awe. He took a bow and spoke. "I didn't think there was anyone else on this island. Oh well, My name is Nigel," Nigel informed with a thick Austailian accent.  
Mario gently set Toadsworth down and shook Nigel's hand, "Thanks for saving us."  
"No problem," he informed. Nigel then turned to Toadette and tok her hand, "I would do anything to save a lovely woman like this one."  
Toad got up and slapped Nigel's hand away, "Hey! That's my wife you're talking to!"  
Nigel laughed, "Don't worry friend. I have no intention of stealing your wife. I just respect women as I was taught to as a child."  
Toad seemed unsure wether or not to trust the strange man.  
"Please, excuse my husband, he's usually not this much of an _ass_." Toadette said, giving Toad an annoyed look.  
Toad crossed his arms and faced away. Toadsworth began to come to. Toadbert and Peach crouched next to him as he opened his eyes and looked around.  
"Wh-where are we?" he asked in confusion. His eyes focused on Nigel. "Who are you, sir?"  
"I'm Nigel. I used to be a champion survivalist when I somehow got here."  
The bushes behind Nigel started to shake. The group prepared to fight or flee. Bowser jumped from the foilage and let out a roar of pain as he landed on the dead creature and cut his foot.  
The friends looked at him in shock, "_Bowser_?"  
Bowser looked at them with equal suprise, "_Losers_?"  
He looked at Mario in confusion, "Waluigi told me you were dead."  
Mario smirked at his archenemy, "I was. But I still have 2 lives left."  
Bowser's eyes landed on the dead beast, "You killed it," he gawked.  
Suddenly, A large firey object flew overhead with a sound like a jet turbine. Mario stared at the sky for a moment before he spoke, "What was that?"  
Luigi squared his shoulders and said, "Let's go find out."  
The rest of the group nodded and rushed in the direction of the falling object.


	8. Chapter 7: The Toad Brigade Part 1

Chapter 7: The Toad Brigade Part 1

Mario and the others, exept Bowser, ran through the dense jungle, following the object.  
After a minute, Luigi saw smoke rising from the trees near them. "Let's go there," he suggested.  
Mario nodded in agreement, "Where there's smoke, there's bound to be fire, and that thing was definetly on fire."  
The rest of the group nodded and walked towards the smoke.

Bowser sat next to the now melted body of the tiger-like creature. The entire body was nothing but a puddle, even the bones had liquified into a golden substanse.  
"How can he be alive?" he asked himself, still in shock after seeing the revived Mario.  
His stomach let out a low growl. "Man, I need to find some food in this tropical dump," he said to himself. The koopa king stood up and walked into the trees, hoping to find a meal.

Wario and Waluigi stood in a small clearing. Wario held his hat in his hand while the other scratched his head in confusion, "Where'd Bowser go?"  
Waluigi shrugged, "He must've left while we wern't looking."  
"I figured that, idiot."  
"Spaz."  
Waluigi could feel the presence of a third figure, watching them from nearby. He looked around and caught a glimpse of blue in the trees. It silently disappeared into the jungle before Waluigi could get a good look at it.

Toad was the first to find the object which looked like a giant metal mushroom. The thing was covered in burn marks and had broken windows. A yellow spotted toadstool hung from the broken door of the crashed ship.  
Toad recognized the object almost immediatly, "The Starshroom!" he cried.  
The rest of the crew cautiously advanced. Toad held the unconsious yellow toadstool in his arms, "C'mon Sleepytoad! Wake up! Talk to me!"  
A second figure emerged from the smoking wreck. This one had green spots and carried a pickaxe.  
"C- captain?" he asked, "Is that you?"  
"Banktoad!" Toad cried, "What happened?"  
Banktoad cleared his throat and leaned against the ship, "Well, there was a contest a few weeks ago and the second place winner got to fly in the Starshroom. We had the winner with us, her name was Kylie or somthin. Anyway, we were flying in clear skies when outta nowhere, this purple bolt of lightning hits the ship. when that happens, we all start panicing 'cause we're falling and the door just got torn off. Oh man! Braintoad and Mailtoad! They got sucked out! We gotta find 'em! The passenger too! And the new captain!"  
"New captain?" Toad asked, confused. Banktoad was already calling the names of his missing comrades as he ran through the foilage. The group chased after him.

Bowser walked through the trees, finding various fruits on the bushes. He sat for a moment to eat a few of the fruits.  
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!" a faint, high-pitched voice cried out.  
Bowser listened.  
"HEEEEEEELP!"  
He slowly rose to his feet and followed the sound. After a minute, he found himself in a clearing.  
"HEEEELP MEEEE!" the voice was really close now. Bowser looked around and spotted a blue dotted toadstool with glasses dangling from a nearby tree.  
"HELP! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! HELP ME!" he cried. He had a parachute attached to him which had gotten caught in the tree. Bowser shufled to the tree and started to climb it.  
The toadstool saw him and started to panic, "Oh man! Bowser! I'm gonna die!"  
Bowser reached the toadstool and pulled him down, "Calm down, I'm not gonna kill you idiot."  
The blue toadstool seemed to calm down. When they reached the ground, he hopped out of Bowser's arms and started to slowly back away, "What do you want?" he asked nervously.  
"I want you gone. I only saved you because you're weak and pathetic. I won't do it again. I'll roast you if I see you again. Got it?"  
The toadstool nodded and turned pale.  
"SCRAM!"  
The toadstool darted into the trees and out of sight.

Banktoad ran through the trees with the rest of his friends still following him. He had to find his team.  
"HEEEEEEEEEELP!" a voice cried.  
"Braintoad," Banktoad whispered.  
He continued to run towards the sound with the rest of the group on his tail. After a few minutes, he ran striaght into a blue spotted toadstool and they both fell back. The rest caught up and gathered around. "Braintoad!" they all cried.  
Braintoad was very pale and he was also shaking, "B-B-B-Bowser!" he cried.  
Mario got into a fighting stance, "Where?"  
Braintoad pointed at the clearing. Bowser was walking into the trees on the other side. Mario quickly ran after him. Luigi followed.  
Bowser continued to walk through the trees as the Mario brothers got closer to him. Bowser heard them getting near and turned around. he then shouted at the plumbers, "Leave me alone!"  
Mario and Luigi stopped and glared at their nemisis, "No. We finish this now!" Mario cried. Luigi nodded and got into a fighting stance.  
Bowser laughed loudly, "Okay then, we'll do it your way."  
Bowser charged at the brothers with suprising speed, but they jumped over him and Mario quickly turned around and delivered a blow to the back of Bowser's head. He let out a howl of pain and anger as he backhanded Mario into a tree. Luigi picked up a nearby stick and slammed it down on Bowser's foot. He grabbed Luigi and proceeded to choke him. Mario got up and kicked Bowser in his swolen eye, causing him to drop Luigi. Bowser took a few steps back and tried to punch Mario, but the hero was too fast. Mario climed up a tree and jumped down on Bowser's head. Luigi got up and landed a hard right hook into Bowser's snout. Bowser recoiled in shock and punched Luigi, who went flying into Mario. Bowser laughed as he stomped towards the downed plumbers.  
"HEYAAAAA!" a voice cried. Bowser looked up and saw a strange toadstool-looking man swinging towards him on a vine.  
Nigel kicked Bowser in the already damaged eye and landed on a tree branch. He unsheathed his knife and went in for another hit. This time, Bowser was ready. Bowser grabbed the survivalist and threw him to the ground. He raised his foot to stomp him, but Nigel thrust the knife into Bowser's foot. The koopa king howled in pain as his foot bled into the green grass around him. Nigel got up and dragged Mario and Luigi to saftey. The rest of the group arrived and helped move the unconcious brothers.  
Bowser was back on his feet and ready to kill Nigel. Nigel, Toad, and Banktoad stood together to fight Bowser. The koopa jumped at them, but the three scattered. Banktoad hit Bowser in the arm with his pickaxe. Bowser tore the weapon from his hands and slammed the toadstool into the ground. Toad jumped out of a bush and grabbed onto Bowser's head. he covered his eyes as Bowser thrashed violently, trying to get him off. Nigel swung at him on a vine and at the last moment, Toad jumped off of Bowser and Nigel slammed into the koopa king. Banktoad stood up and grabbed his pickaxe. Bowser stood up and grabbed Nigel before he could get away. He then started to swing him lick a club, hitting Banktoad . Toad quickly scrambled up a nearby tree. He dropped onto Bowser's hear and started to punch his eyes. Bowser roared in pain and tossed Nigel aside. He then grabbed Toad and started to shake him violently, "You little pest!" he screamed, "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long. Time to die!"

Wario and Waluigi were searching the jungle for their missing boss when they heard a commotion. It sounded like fighting.  
Wario rushed towards the sound while Waluigi hesitated.  
'What the hell was that blue blur?' he thought to himself.  
"C'mon, idiot!" Wario called.  
Waluigi quickly caught up to his brother. They peeked through the bushes and saw Bowser holding Toad and two unfamilliar toadstools lying nearby.  
"Boss!" Wario cried, running towards the koopa king, "You started the party without us?"  
Bowser scowled at his yellow henchman, "You should have followed me you morons!"  
Bowser dropped Toad and the three villans walked away.

Toadette and Braintoad ran back to the fight to see if the three toadstools were okay. When they got there Toad was nearly dead and Nigel was unconsious. Banktoad was nowhere to be found.

A figure wearing an outfit similar to Mario and Luigi's signiture clothes sat in a large tree. He wore dark blue overalls and a baby blue shirt. There was a hat clutched in his right hand that was also bright blue. The man had toxic green eyes and messy brown hair. There was a roughly trimmed mustache above his frowning mouth.  
'I'm not alone' he thought.  
'My old rivals are here.'


	9. Chapter 8: The Toad Brigade Part 2

Chapter 8: The Toad Brigade Part 2

Wario, Waluigi, and Bowser walked through the jungle. Bowser had just defeated the Mario brothers, but the victory was short lived since the three were starving. "We need food. Now," Wario complained.  
"Oh, gee Wario, I didn't even think about that! Spaz," Waluigi said.  
Bowser said nothing as he continued to shuffle through the foliage.  
Wario and Waluigi argued for awhile until the crooks emerged from the trees onto the beach.  
"Why are we back here?" Waluigi asked.  
"To get away from them," Bowser said, lighting a fire.  
The sun was resting on the horizon and the sky would not remain lit for long.

Toad lay on a hammock made from large leaves. He was as close to death as possible. Toadette sat next to him, her expression somber with a few tears trickling down her face. Nigel was conscious and trying to help find Banktoad, who had disappeared after the fight with Bowser. Mario and Luigi were recovering from the fight. Mario sprained his wrist and Luigi got a black eye. Braintoad, Toadbert, and Peach were tending to the fallen heros the best they could. Sleepytoad was barely awake and trying to asses the situation. The others were searching for Banktoad. Toadette prayed that everyone would make it back safely.

Daisy was helping the search team look for Banktoad, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about what Banktoad had said. Purple lightning. A bolt of lightning had struck the water when they were washed up here. It had also been a shade of purple. Hadn't it?  
"Daisy," Nigel said, "We need to spread out for the best results."  
Daisy nodded and moved over a few feet.

Banktoad sat in a tree overlooking Bowser's camp. He clenched his pickaxe tightly and grimaced. He had a deep cut on his shoulder. It was time to return the favor. He silently climbed down from the tree and slowly snuck towards the villans.  
"Mario's... alive?" Waluigi asked.  
"Yeah," Bowser replied.  
"Now you don't have to live with a guilty conscience," Wario sneered.  
Banktoad looked up at the dark sky. the stars were starting to appear.  
'It's now or never.' he thought to himself.  
Slowly, he stood up and walked towards the three criminals with his head held high and his weapon ready.

A man wearing an outfit similar to Mario and Luigi's regular outfit jumped from tree to tree. He landed on a large branch and stood up. His green eyes scanned the area. There was a small structure in the trees. It was a makeshift tree house. He proceeded to enter the hut and pick up a small leather book.  
He sat down at a table and opened the book. It was a journal. He flipped to an empty page and started to write.

_Entry #2998: July._

_I'm not alone..._

Banktoad ran at the villans, screaming. Wario and Bowser stood up and got into fighting stances. Waluigi remained sitting.

_There are others on the island. And I remember them._

Wario punched Banktoad in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, clutching his stomach. Bowser flung the pickaxe into the trees.

_They once tried to kidnap my sister_...

The pickaxe spun like a frisbee as it flew through the air, straight at a vine attached to the tree hut.  
_  
Pe-_

The writing was stopped when a vine snapped and whipped the man in the face, causing him to drop the journal. The pages of the journal scattered. A few fell out of the hut and were blown away by the wind.

Toadsworth was the first to spot the pickaxe, stuck into a tree.  
"I've found his pickaxe!"  
The rest of the group ran to him immediately.  
"Hmmm... I don't think he left this here on purpose," Nigel said.  
"He could be in trouble," Daisy said.  
"Right then, let's go," Nigel decided.

Wario and Bowser continued to beat Banktoad unconcious. He was bleeding a lot and was starting to turn pale. Waluigi saw this and grabbed Wario's fist just as the yellow henchman was charging another punch. Wario gasped in surprise.  
"Enough," Waluigi growled.  
Bowser raised an eyebrow, "Why?"  
Waluigi was red with anger, "He's almost dead! Look at him! He's bleeding like a faucet!"  
Wario snorted dismissivly, "All the more reason not to stop."  
Wario shoved Waluigi to the ground and proceeded to kick the unconcious toadstool in the ribs.  
Waluigi stood up and grabbed his brother by the throat, "I said enough!" he screamed as he slammed his obese sibling into the sand.  
Bowser backhanded him and the crook flew backwards.  
"Give up now or I'll kill you," Bowser said, advancing towards Waluigi.  
Waluigi wrapped his fingers around a stick poking out of the fire. As Bowser got closer, Waluigi tightened his grip on the stick.  
When Bowser was within spitting distance, Waluigi quickly threw the flaming projectile at his boss and fled to the trees, grabbing Banktoad on the way.

The search team watched from the bushes as Waluigi fought Bowser and Wario. Waluigi then proceeded to run in their direction carrying Banktoad.  
Daisy stepped out in front of the purple villan and grabbed his throat. Waluigi instantly went limp and set Banktoad on the ground. Toadsworth and Nigel dragged their fallen friend to saftey.  
"Please," Waluigi begged, "Don't kill me. Take me prisoner or somthing! I don't want to die!"  
Rosalina stepped out from her hiding place, "Get out. If we ever see you again we won't let you walk away."  
Daisy released Waluigi who gasped for air.  
"Thank... you," he wheezed, standing up. He quickly tore off through the jungle.

Mario's eyes slowly opened. Peach and Braintoad were standing over him. He had a sour tast in his mouth. Briantoad was holding a dark green flower.  
"Hm," he said, "I guess i was right. It did wake him up."  
Peach gently hugged the plumber, "Thank god you're okay."  
Mario and Peach kissed and Mario noticed his bandaged hand.  
"What happened?"  
"Bowser sprained your wrist," Braintoad explained.  
Mario looked at the makeshift bed beside him. It was empty.  
"Where's Luigi?" Mario asked, standing up.  
"He just woke up and now he's trying to help with Toad. Toad, Nigel, and Banktoad wento back for Bowser after you two were knocked out. Toad got the worst of it. Banktoad is missing."  
Mario noticed the tears forming in the young toadstool's eyes. Peach noticed too and hugged Braintoad. The toadstool took that as a signal to completely fall apart and proceeded to sob into Peach's arms.  
"He's my brother and now he's gone," he sobbed.  
Mario felt bad for Braintoad.  
Just then, Toadsworth and Nigel emerged from the trees carrying a very bloody Banktoad. Braintoad was at his brother's side in a flash.  
What happened?" he asked  
"Bowser and Wario. He tried to fight them, but they were too strong. Waluigi saved him," Toadsworth explained.  
Then, Daisy and Rosalina walked out of the jungle.  
Peach walked over to the girls, "Are you okay?" she asked.  
The two princesses nodded. Daisy saw Luigi with Toadbert, examining Toad. Luigi looked over at her and smiled. Daisy walked over too him.  
"How is he?" she asked curiously.  
Luigi started to answer when Toadbert interrupted.  
"He'll be up in about three hours. He's in a state of shock from going too long with out oxygen."  
Luigi nodded.  
Toadette was asleep on the ground next to them. She was turning and moaning in her sleep.  
"It must be tough to go through what she's dealing with," Toadbert said.  
Daisy nodded, "Toad could have died."  
"Almost did," Luigi confirmed gravely.  
Braintoad stood at Banktoad's side as he wa lowered onto one of the beds hade from tree branches and scrap metal from the Starshroom.  
"C'mon bro, wake up," he said, tears streaming down his face.  
Banktoad slowly opened one eye, "Stop your bawling, you big baby," he grunted.  
Braintoad wiped his tears away.  
"How do you feel?" Nigel asked.  
"Like I got super-scrubbed with sandpaper and cinderblocks."  
"That's gotta hurt," Sleepytoad said, his eyelids starting to droop.  
"We gottoa find the rest of the team," Banktoad said.  
We'll get to it as soon as we can," Mario said, "I just wish I had my regular clothes."  
Mario and Luigi were still in their tuxedos wich were now torn and filthy.  
Sleepytoad suddenly snapped awake, "That reminds me," he said, walking into the Starshroom, "You guys left these last time we visited Rosalina."  
The yellow toadstool revealed three suitcases colored green, red, and pink. Mario dug through the red one until he found his red shirt, red hat with his emblem on it, and a pair of bright blue overalls. Peach pulled out a spare dress and another dress with more of a gold color. It closly reselmbled Daisy's dress. Luigi pulled out his signiture outfit and walked into the trees to change.  
"Thanks, man," Mario said, patting Sleepytoad on the back.  
"So, when do we go to find the others?" Banktoad asked, slowly getting to his feet.

The strange, blue-suited man sat in a tree, the hut behind him with a lone candle burning inside. He had a red scratch across his left eye. his hat was in his hand, a small bit of white showing on the front.  
"Waluigi!" a voice cried.  
the man quickly threw a twig at the candle in the hut. The air the stick carried blew out the small flame.  
"If I find that traitor, I'll kill him!" an angry voice said, getting closer.  
Wario and Bowser walked through the trees, searching for Waluigi.  
'This is gonna be fun.' he thought.

Waluigi sat in a tree, his sleeves torn from his shirt. One of his overall straps was ripped. His hat still rested on his head. He held a semi-sharp stick as he tried to sleep. Just then, a roar that sounded like a strangled bear rang through the trees.  
A green, tiger-like creature, emerged from the bushes.

A purple-spotted toadstool sat at a small fire. He had a small brown bag at his side. He was covered in small cuts and bruises. Another figure sat across from Mailtoad, facing away. The second figure featured a pink shell and a green berett rested on their head. A small black camera lay on the dirt next to them.  
"Miss Koopa?" Mailtoad asked, "Are okay?"  
The koopa turned around and faced the toadstool. "Yeah," she sighed, "And just call me Kylie."


	10. Chapter 9: The Captain

Chapter 9: The Captain

Banktoad was sitting on his makeshift bed, "When are we going to look for the rest of the team?"  
Mario shook his head, "You can't go anywhere man," he sighed, "You can hardly stand."  
The rest of the group nodded.  
"Bull-crap man, I can walk fine," Banktoad said. He slowly stood up and tried to take a step forward, but collapsed.  
"You have to stay here bro. You're too busted up," said Braintoad.  
"Fine."  
"Who's going?" Mario asked.  
Sleepytoad was leaning against the wrecked Starshroom, trying hard to stay awake, "I'll go," he said drowsily.  
Mario nodded, "Who else?"  
Daisy and Luigi both stepped forward, "We'll go," they said in unison.  
Peach grabbed Mario's arm, "Count me in," she said.  
Toadbert walked over to them, "Better than sitting here," he decided.  
"Alright," Mario said, "Let's do this."

Waluigi sat in the tree, waiting for the tiger creature to attack or leave. He hoped it would leave.  
Waluigi was armed with a sharp stick. His clothes were torn in various places. The sleeves of his shirts were torn off and his hat had fallen to the ground.  
The creature looked around the clearing. Waluigi was sure it had seen him. It slowly walked towards the tree he was hiding in. Waluigi could almost feel it's four red eyes staring holes into him. The 'tiger' let out a roar that sounded like a strangled animal. It slammed one massive paw into the tree wich caused it to crack. The tree started to fall over and Waluigi let go. He dropped on top of the creature and instinctively stabbed it with the stick. The thing cried out in pain and threw him off. the stick was still lodged in it's back.  
"Let's dance," Waluigi rasped, getting into a fighting stance.

Wario and Bowser were walking through the jungle, an unknown figure watching from the trees.  
"Where is that coward," Wario said, scowling.  
Bowser scowled as well, "When I find that little worm, I gonna wring his scrawny little neck!"  
"I can't believe he would just turn against us like that. It's not like him. Sure he's a moron, but still..."  
Just then, a blue blur flew in front of the two. Wario was thrown sideways into a tree. Bowser blinked twice before realising they were being attacked.  
Bowser suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground.  
"What the-"  
He was thrown into a tree before he could finish.  
Wario sat up and rubbed his head. "Who the hell was that?"  
Bowser got to his feet and surveyed the area. There was nobody else.  
Wario and Bowser stared at each other in confusion.  
"What the hell was that?" Bowser asked.  
Wario just shrugged.

The creature lunged at Waluigi so fast, it was a green blur. Waluigi jumped aside, almost losing his footing. He steadied himself and grabbed a small rock. When the tiger turned around, he threw the rock as hard as he could and ran. The monster quickly followed.  
"I'm screwed!" Waluigi cried.  
Suddenly, Waluigi was lifted off the ground by a pink blur. He then found himself sitting on a high tree branch.  
"What the?"  
"Who are you?" a female's voice asked.  
"Wa- Waluigi."  
"You're welcome."  
Waluigi slowly stood up, Wait! Who are you?"  
He spotted a pink toadstool with a similar appearance to Toadette, but without braided hair(?).  
"It doesn't matter who I am. It just matters that we get out of here. There's and entire cave of those things," She said, pointing at the tiger, the stick still lodged in its back.  
Waluigi felt like he was forgetting something. He felt his head and instead of his hat, he felt hes greasy brown hair.  
"My hat!" he cried.  
"It's not important."  
"My mom gave me that hat!"  
"Hey moron, you mind keeping your voice down?"  
"Please! Just help me get my hat. Then you can leave me or whatever."  
The toadstool thought for a moment. "Alright. But if one of those things shows up, I'm gone."  
"Deal. Thank you."  
"Whatever. My name is Todiko by the way."

"Captain!" Sleepytoad cried, his eyes drooping.  
Mario and Peach held hands as they walked through the dense jungle.  
"Mailtoad!" Luigi shouted.  
Luigi and Daisy stood awkwardly close to each other, occasionally holding hands.  
"Do you think we'll find them before dark?" Daisy asked Luigi.  
"I really hope so. I definitely do not want to spend the night out here."  
Sleepytoad suddenly collapsed and started snoring. Toadbert picked him up and carried him on his back, muttering under his breath.  
"Guys, hurry up," Mario called to them.  
The group struggled to keep up with Mario and Peach.  
"Mario," Peach said worriedly, "Are we going to run into one of those things?"  
Mario sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you Peach. I'm not going to say everything's going to be fine. We most likely will have to fight one of those things. So be alert and ready."  
Peach went pale with fear, "I would've preferred for you to lie to me."  
"Sorry."  
Toadbert caught up to them, "If we find the team fast enough, we may not have to fight one."  
"Yes please," Peach said.  
Luigi sniffed the air, "Do you guys smell something burning?"  
Everyone took a deep breath.  
"Yeah, It's coming from that direction," Mario said, pointing East.  
"Let's get moving," Daisy suggested.

Bowser and Wario continued to search the jungle for Waluigi, cautious of their attacker.  
"Who do you think that was?" Wario asked.  
"How should I know?" Bowser snapped.  
Wario shrugged. They found a small clearing and sat down.  
"Got any food?" Wario asked.  
"What do you think?"  
"Boss, you need to chill."  
"Shut up."  
Wario gave up and got up to look for food.  
'What an ass.' he thought.  
Suddenly, a blue flash knocked Wario onto his back.  
"What the-"  
Wario was cut off by a brown shoe being pressed against his throat.  
"I have questions. You're going to answer them or I'll kill you," the man said.  
"Okay," Wario gasped.  
"Why are you here?"  
"Stranded."  
"Who else is with you?"  
"Bowser."  
"Do you know who I am?"  
Wario thought for a moment, "No."  
That was the last thing he could remember before everything went dark, accompanied by a sharp pain in Wario's face.

'One down.' the man thought to himself.  
Bowser sat only 15 yards away, unaware of what just happened.  
The man in blue crept up behind the koopa king and delivered a quick punch. The blow connected with Bowser's skull with a sickening crunch.  
He fell in a heap.  
The man drew a knife from the strap of his overalls and prepared to slit Bowser's throat while he was knocked out, but a loud roar erupted from the jungle behind. He quickly ran into the trees, away from danger.

The images flashed quickly in Toad's mind. Toadette falling from a cliff, Mario bleeding out on the stone floor, Luigi crushed by a large, dark creature. Toadbert begging for mercy, Banktoad, his pickaxe lodged in his skull. Peach dead. Braintoad dead. Everyone dead.  
Toad sat up with a sharp gasp. He looked around and saw Toadette sleeping fitfully on a pile of leaves nearby. Rosalina and Braintoad sat next to Banktoad as he slept. Toad sighed in relief. All was well.  
Toadsworth noticed that Toad was awake and walked over to him, "How do you feel, old chap?"  
"I've felt better."  
"You're very lucky," Toadsworth said, "Bowser could have killed you. He almost did."  
Toad laid back down, "I'd better get some rest."  
"What are you talking about? You've been sleeping all day." Toadsworth joked.  
"Well, after a long day of sleeping, I usually like to have a short power nap."  
Toad went back to sleep with images of fighting in his dreams.

Waluigi and Toadiko carfully climbed down the tree to retrieve Waluigi's hat.  
"This better be worth it," Toadiko muttered.  
"Just watch my back while I get my hat."  
Waluigi dropped from the tree and quickly grabbed his hat. As he walked back to the tree, one of the creatures leaped out from the jungle and pinned him to the ground.  
"Help!" Waluigi cried, but Toadiko was already gone.  
'This is it for me.' he thought as the tiger lifted one massive paw in the air, ready to strike.

Mailtoad was overwhelmed with relief when he saw Mario. They had finally been saved.  
"Mario!" he cried, "Thank god you're here!"  
"Good to see you too, Mailtoad."  
Toadbert emerged, followed by the rest of the crew.  
"Sleepytoad!"  
"Hmm? Oh, hey Mailtoad! Where's the captain and the passenger?"  
"No idea where the captain is. Kylie is out gathering food."  
Mario shurgged, "Whatever, we need to run back to camp now!" He cried, pointing at the setting sun.  
"Agreed," Toadbert put in.  
Kylie emerged from the trees behind Mailtoad, her arms full of fruit.  
"What's going on? Are we being rescued?" she asked hopefully.  
"We need to go!" Luigi cried, pointing at four red eyes watching them from the shadows.


End file.
